In America so called Blacks and other people of the Tribe of Yisra’el, have been stigmatized by the fact that most Hebrew women have, have had and still have today children born with no marital ties to the father; or so it seems. In fact, to further identify and bring home this truth so called blacks have been notorious gaining attention to their relational issues by coining phrases such as; ‘my baby mama, my baby daddy’, and this thinking further promoted by shows like Jerry Springer, Maury Povich and the like enlightened ‘drama seekers’ nationwide of Hebrews plight through DNA testing. Statistically, so called African American are the leading race of single, or one parent homes; mostly mothers and children left alone for various reasons; such as abandonment, prison, or through death.

Accordingly, in America 72% of the black population are fatherless children; or rather where a parent is absent from the home. There has to be separation in the two instances; hence, absent does not equate that the child has no father, because that would be biologically impossible. Furthermore, in countries across the globe other parents of the so called black community face the same plight but on a much smaller scale; Ireland was second (24.3 percent), followed by New Zealand (23.7 percent). Greece, Spain, Italy and Luxemborg had among the lowest percentages of children in single-parent homes.

Consequently, the question is now are the fatherless really the fatherless or is there more to meet the eye here? Moreover, are the children illegitimate or bastards as they have been tagged? The names are not so pronounced today as in the past but still a problem. Today many children are born without their fathers names on their birth certificates. A most harrowing fact is noted, that in times past the term bastard or illegitimate was used to identify a child born out of wed-lock. It is the case that families trying to keep a so called good name would actually send their daughters off to some convent where the unwed girl would deliver the child and the child placed for an adoption. Or there would be relatives out of town who would take the child in until she delivered and raise the child as their own; all this to save the face of the family. However, times have changed and mothers are choosing to raise their children, instead of, giving them away without the father in the home. My prayer is there will be healing and a new and fresh perspective that will help lessen the weight of guilt and shame that comes from this stereotypical thinking concerning the Hebrews.

The term Bastard is translated from the Hebrew term “Mamzer”, which means the same thing; except that it has nothing to do with the fatherless child; or an absent parent, but does concern the one whose seed conceived the babe. In earlier discussions we found out that according to Yah, a man and woman (women) are married when they have sexual intercourse. There is still an ongoing debate for some concerning this fact, however, debating doesn’t change truth. So let’s review.

“And the man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one is called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of man.” For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:23,24).

One flesh means that the two join together and make one, and duly noted this act involves producing children together. “And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, “Bear fruit and increase, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over all creatures moving on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28).

The significance of this truth from the beginning is the intention of sex has always been to make babies, of course it is enjoyable, because if it were not then no one would want to do it. Hence, we know that that sex joins a couple in marriage, and married people have babies. Selah.

However, Yah had specific rules for the Nation of Israel concerning his covenant with them: “Guard yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.“ But break down their altars, and smash their pillars, and cut down their Ashĕrim – for you do not bow yourselves to another mighty one, for יהוה, whose Name is jealous, is a jealous Ěl – lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they whore after their mighty ones, and slaughter to their mighty ones, and one of them invites you and you eat of his slaughterings, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters whore after their mighty ones, and make your sons whore after their mighty ones.” (Exodus 34:12-16).

So Yah did not want the Children of Israel mingling with the inhabitants of the land, because there would be temptation to have sex with the women there and be led astray to idols, also the risk of fathering children with them. One may say that they did so through war. However, this is what the covenant is concerned with. Yah did not want impure children.

Today concerning the Hebrews: “And to the rest I say, not the Master: If any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she thinks well to live with him, let him not send her away. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he thinks well to live with her, let her not send him away. For the unbelieving husband has been set-apart in the wife, and the unbelieving wife has been set-apart in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are set-apart.” (1 Corinthians 7:12-14).

This thing about being unequally yoked with unbelievers is very misunderstood. For those of us who can identify with Christian teaching anyone outside the doors of the sect is to be avoided. However, this teaching is misleading. Yah is not talking about Christians or religion, or rather, believing if someone dosen’t go to church they don’t believe. It is the case that if one believes this way they are short sighted, because not going to church doesn’t equal no belief at all. In essence, He is talking about Hebrew marriage where one believes truth and the other does not; could be someone is still in the Christian mindset. Hence, one is redeemed and the other is not, and the premise could be not of the faith or not of the tribe. Hence, if Yah says ma’am sir, stay within your race, he means it.

Well this is taking us to a whole other place of enlightenment, because this is where the term “Mamzer” comes in concerning the bearing of children. Therefore, it is in the seed of the man which determines lineage. Hence, a Hebrew man can take a wife and the child still be Hebrew. However for the women, this is not the case, because the woman does not carry seed her children by someone outside of the tribe will be of another.

MAMZER (Heb. מַמְזֵר), usually translated as “bastard.” A child of a marriage forbidden in covenant. Or non Hebrew lineage.

“No one of illegitimate birth does enter the assembly of יהוה, even a tenth generation of his does not enter the assembly of יהוה.” (Dueteronomy 23:2).

The Book of Ezra says this, “And these were those who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addan, Immer, but they were unable to show their fathers house, and their seed, whether they were from Yisra’el: Sons of Delayah, sons of Tobiyah, sons of Neqoda, six hundred and fifty-two; and of the sons of the priests; sons of Habayah, sons of Qots, sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Giladite and was called by (((THEIR))) name. These sought their register among those who were counted by genealogy, but they were not found, so they were barred from the priesthood as defiled. And the governor said to them they should not eat of the most set apart gifts until they stood up a priest with the Urim and Tummim. (Ezra 2:60-62)

Here is an explanation from the Jewish Encyclopedia, “BASTARD: In the English use of the word, a child neither born nor begotten in lawful wedlock; an illegitimate child. There is no Hebrew word of like meaning. The mamzer, rendered “bastard” in the A. V., is something worse than an illegitimate child. He is the offspring of a father and mother between whom there could be in law no binding betrothal: issuing either from adultery between a married woman and a man other than her husband, or from incest within the forbidden degrees of kinship or affinity defined in Lev. xviii. and xx. The child of a marriage simply forbidden, as that between a cohen and a divorced woman, is legitimate but “profane”; that is, a son can not officiate as a priest, a daughter is not eligible to marry a priest. But a mamzer, according to Deut. xxiii. 3, must not “enter the congregation of the Lord,” that is, marry an Israelite woman, “nor shall his tenth generation enter,” etc., which includes also the female mamzer (Ḳid. iii. 12; Mak. iii. 1). The older Halakah, however, was more rigorous, Akiba declaring any child of a forbidden connection a mamzer (Yeb. iv. 12, 13; Yer. ib. 6b; Bab. ib. 44a, 49a).” (See: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2648-bastard).

The core of this may not be what one expects; however, for those suffering guilt shame and remorse because the father chose not to stay be assured that the man is at fault if he does not find favor with a wife and walks away without giving a certificate of divorce. Being uneducated and not following Yah has its consequence; in this case for the children. However, the good news is that they are not illegitimate if they have a father; no child is. What makes them illegitimate is difficult to hear (not the seed of the tribe), but we have new knowledge and strength to recover. Press on.

For further reading see:Jewish Virtual Library
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0013_0_13122.html

Misunderstanding the Mamzer
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/13704#.UqqTnvRDuSo

72 Percent Of Black Kids Raised By Single Parent, 25% Overall In U.S.
http://newsone.com/1195075/children-single-parents-u-s-american/

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